Investors, health care specialists, media workers and scholars were among the people who gathered for the launch of a new organisation to promote business opportunities in a region of the world dubbed "the cradle of humankind" because it is where men and women first walked the earth.
The East Africa Business Network (EABN) was unveiled with speeches from the editor of Britain's first citizen journalism news portal and a top academic who specialises in mental health.
Marc Wadsworth, editor of The-latest.com, said, at the event held yesterday at the prestigious Saint George's hotel in central London, next to the BBC headquarters: "This is a wonderful occasion because it is the start of an important opportunity for African people in the diaspora to network and do business together."
He added: "When I refurbished my home, I had a white builder and my carpenter, plasterer, tiler, electrician, painters and decorators and plumber were black. We must employ each other, based, of course, on the highest possible standards."
Fellow guest speakers Dr Joe Mairura, the Kenyan director of Imara Development Programmes, said: "We, as people in the African diaspora, need to know the difference between being wealthy as individuals and creating wealth in our community - the latter is more important than the former."
Event organiser Aurelia Anyika, who works as an NHS nurse, stated she was delighted that so many people had backed her dream project by turning up to the launch and sending messages of support.
She said: "EABN aims to create a gateway into East Africa and help members of the diaspora here in the United Kingdom grow their business potential. With rising unemployment and Europe’s seemingly bleak outlook economically, more people are looking into establishing their own businesses and more industries are looking at Africa for trade and investment opportunities and solutions. As a result, now becomes a key moment to build relationships and invest in the emerging and established markets in East Africa."
The objectives of EABN include:
- Regular Networking
- Making referrals
- Improving business practice through education among members
- Helping people access desired contacts and learn about East African markets
- Sharing a relevant business directory among members
- Promoting East Africa as a cost-effective investment destination
- Encouraging consolidation and team-work within the network
* Photography: David Mbiyu
Thomas L. Blair is a sociologist and political blogger on the Chronicleworld 'for creative renewal in Black Britain and Afro-Europe'. His work is honoured in the British Library's archive of "social, historic and culturally significant web-based material from the UK domain". He won top prize in the blogging competition on The-Latest.
Sumantra Maitra is a freelance journalist from Mumbai, India. He is a correspondent for All Sports magazine, and a foreign affairs blogger for the Washington Examiner. He has written articles for news website Merinews.com and other regional publications. Sumantra runs a blog at DailyWorldWatch.wordpress.com. He provided exclusive eyewitness reports for The-Latest on the Mumbai bombings of 2008.
Brian Usher is photography consultant for The-Latest.Com. He is a highly experienced editorial and commercial photographer whose work has been published throughout the world, appearing in many well known magazines and newspapers. Brian has featured in several books and has been a writer for the Royal Photographic Society magazine.
Heidi Kingstone has spent time in Afghanistan reporting for a number of publications. Her work has appeared in the Financial Times, The Spectator, The Sunday Times and other international journals. She has also reported from places like Iraq, Rwanda, Lebanon, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya. Heidi is The-Latest's Editor at large.
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